James Webb telescope captures stunning image of half-a-million stars at Milky Way core

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s shows Milky Way core. 500,000 stars shine in Sagittarius C region. (Image credit: https://www.nasa.gov/missions/webb)

In a breathtaking cosmic revelation, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has treated us to an enchanting image of a vast cluster of 500,000 stars within Sagittarius C, a star-forming region approximately 300 light-years away from the centre of the Milky Way.

Among the myriad stars, a nursery of baby stars glows from within a veiled, dusty cloud. At the centre is a star which is in the process of formation.

Needle-like structures

The amazing picture reveals something never seen before: a big glow of ionised hydrogen, like a beautiful blue colour, at the lower part of a dark cloud. Moving to the right, this blue area shows shapes that NASA calls "needle-like structures", scattered in chaotic orientations, a feature that scientists are eager to explore in more depth. There's also a small bunch of red and white streaks shooting upwards and left. The image also has colours of orange and red, creating a mesmerising purple haze.

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A gateway to the history of our galaxy

Astronomers anticipate a wealth of information that Sagittarius C, situated close 25,000 light years away from Earth, will provide into the intricacies of star birth, NASA stated.

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This close examination of star formation holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of our cosmic origins, the space agency noted. As scientists prepare to embark on further investigations into the mysteries embedded within Sagittarius C, James Webb Space Telescope's revelations promise to reshape our understanding of the galactic birthplace of stars.

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